House training Rabbit

[chinbunny]

Quote:
I can't speak for anyone else, but my problem with the HRS is that their local members have a problem with me! To them, I am the Evil Rabbit Breeder, the person who keeps her rabbits outside in cages and makes rabbits that they then have to rescue from the people I sell them to. To them, I am the rabbit equivalent of a puppy mill. I know that these particular members are vegetarians, and I think they suspect that I eat my rabbits, too (anathema!!) I don't "hate" them, I just think they're rather ridiculous.

Frankly, I like some of the things that I found on the HRS site. There are some things that I totally disagree with. I certainly would hope that it wouldn't be the sole source of info that someone starting with rabbits looked at!

Yoker, are the "bunny berries" deposited in particular places (like corners) or are they all over the place? I hear that some rabbits are just neater than others. Certainly in my rabbitry, I see some rabbits that seem to put almost everything in one corner, and others that have poo scattered pretty well all over the space under their cages.

I am sorry but I am of the opinion that keeping farm/wild animals indoors is just plain ridiculous, just read some of the post here about pooping and spraying and chewing and ruining carpets. It just doesn't make sense to allot of folks, I do realize and condone your right to do whatever you please I am fine with that. All I am saying is everytime I have ever entered a home where a farm animal was being kept as a member of the family, the home was a total wreck and smelled worst than the barn. Do you people not care or what others think!!!!!! please help me understand this fetesh you have and why. I do not mean to offend anybody I am just looking for perspective is all.

AL

Being that rabbits are multipurpose they can be kept as a clean house pet. However, that does not mean they need a different, or are an entirely different species like HRS membes try to make them out to be. They tell pet owners its ok to give them carpet to sit on, towels to lay on, and cardboard to chew. All very dangerous since rabbits will chew and eat stuff.

Ive aldo been accused of animal abuse by some of them. Because I chose to keep my rabbits outside, in a barn, in wire cages, instead of in my house, cull the cronically sick and the ones with genetic defects (like wolf teeth, snuffles, etc). Been told I was running a mill because of the cages, and having *too many.* Then there is the whole diet debate too. Some of them think of it animal abuse to feed them pellets(stuff that is good for them) instead of herbs and veggies (stuff that is not good for them).

Really breeders do not hate the hrs. They hate us. Breeders are nothing but evil people that are out to make money and contribute to pet rabbit rabbit overpopulation in shelters to most of them. Most of the things they do with their rabbits would be considered abuse in the breeding community.

We just disagree with how they recommend caring for their animals, and how they treat others.

 

[CherokeeFlats]

I have to agree with chinbunny regarding how the HRS and many "rescue" type organizations view breeders of ANY kind. HRS has "some" good advice but as a breeder of over 20 years, it's experience with BOTH rabbits as pets and livestock. Many people that breed rabbits do so for showing or meat for their family. Very few of us sell our rabbits as pets. I sell a "few" to a very select few of families and they HAVE to sign a contract. I have actually had people tell me that it was harder to get a rabbit from me as a pet than it was the Humane Society!!! I feel that is a compliment as that means I care for my animals more than the money!!! I do not sell rabbits as easter presents, christmas presents, bday presents or any present for that matter. I have angered many families due to that reason!

I, as a breeder, breed for showing and meat. All are treated with respect, given proper feed, fresh water and housing and if their purpose is for showing/breeding that is what they do. If the purpose is for meat, they still get the same treatment as anyother rabbit on my farm.

I am a member of ARBA and many other breeder related clubs as needed for showing. Now, that being said.. I do have a male Netherland Dwarf that has been retired from breeding due to the fact he is sterile and he is in the house. He does NOT spray, bite, chew and is NOT litterbox trained because he is still in the proper cage (wire bottomed floor). It is easier to clean and much healthier for the animal. He get's time out of his cage with me on the couch to watch my soaps and he will usually nap with me

With rabbits being that dual purpose species... organizations like HRS believe that NO ONE should breed and that rabbits are PETS only. When in fact they are not. In many states, Illinois for example because that's where I live, they are considered LIVESTOCK and you can not own more that 3 within city limits. But, in the country, ag zoned areas like where I live, you can have as many as you can house and maintain properly.

We have even gone as far as registering our rabbitry with the State Ag dept as a rabbit farm and to my knowledge, we are the only Registered rabbit farm in the county I live in.

While I have no issues with rabbits being house pets, in my house.. 99% are livestock and housed as such. All are healthy, vetted if needed, and Culled if seriously ill or we are unable to use them (eat them due to illness) and those culls are donated to a bird sanctuary in St. Louis to feed raptors (eagles, hawks....) that are no longer able to be in the wild for whatever reason. I do not believe I contribute to the over population of rabbits. It's those that believe the crud on places like HRS that state they NEED a friend and before you know it.. there are babies!!

Yeah, I get the people that call and say, "Hi, we would like to get a pet rabbit. We would like a boy and a girl because we have 2 children" when I ask WHY they think they need 2 rabbits (no matter the sex) I usually get, my kids wont share (then teach them!) or my kids want to see babies being born... Um AHAHA good luck with that one... Chinbunny, I am sure you can agree with this... 9 times outta 10, WE never see them being born.. You know that you bred on this day and that they are due 31 days later, you put the box in on day 30 and when you wake up.. BABIES!!

I have a list of about 60 people that I would never sell a rabbit to as a pet (or any reason for that matter) and I share that list with breeders I know share the same feelings about the whole, my kids wanna see bunnies born thing.

I have had calls, emails, posts on my site from HRS, PETA, and other groups saying I too am the DEVIL, I am an animal killer (cuz I eat my livestock) and a few other words... no matter what people breed or eat, there will always be someone, somewhere that feels we are evil for what we do.

While I personally would not be a vegan (I like meat too much) I do not condem others for it.. it's a personal choice.... to each his own.. but when it comes to how an animal is treated... I WILL get in someones face if they are doing it wrong and I have...

I am not saying I am the all knowing bunny god BUT, after 20 plus years of experience with raising rabbits, I try to educate people on proper care and husbandry based on MY EXPERIENCES alone.

Ok, off my soap box now

 

[chinbunny]

Quote:
I don't sell them as presents either. I used to sell my extras to a local farm store. Until they gave me some trouble over exchanging a sick rabbit for a healthy one. Rabnbit got sick. Manager said I could not come get him until the litter I had was ready. Which would have been another week. he was more worried about inventory and got nasty with meover it. the rabbit died that night. So that was that with them. No more.

I don't do contracts. If people want a pet rabbit from me they can look me up at shows, or locally. I barely even advertise any more. I don't do presents or easter sales either. Unless I know the rabbit will be taken care of. most either get butchered, or go to the meat man at the rabbit shows. Even when I take them to the auction barns they still have a 90% chance of being purchased to be butchered. The only pet owners I deal with nowadays are 4hers. I also offer a take back policy.

I have alist of people i won't sell to either. Even have a relative on it. They can't take care of them then they aren't getting another one from me. I would never sell to anyone that supports hrs either. Learned my lesson on tha one the hard way. Allowed someone in rescue into my barn once to pick up a stray rabbit I had rescued. Later come find out she told a bunch of people on the internet I was a "backyard breeder," and that she would never get a rabbit from me again. The thing is she got involved in rabbit rescue shortly after she got the rabbit,and it changed her. They brain washed her into believeing that most breeders, including those that show, are bad people. This was also after she had met me at a rabbit show once too.